Tag: what I’ve been reading

What I’ve Been Reading: Marvels

As a casual comic book fan, I am by no means an expert on the genre. I generally try to read the seminal graphic novels about various superheroes, but there are too many different stories to follow to keep up with Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc. I recently read a “Best Graphic Novels of All-Time” list, and Marvels by Kurt Busiek was on the list. I thought I would give it a shot.

Marvels tells the story of several superheroes and supervillains from the perspective of photographer Phil Sheldon, who was around for the birth of the Human Torch in the 1930s, the arrival of Galactus, the death of (SPOILER ALERT) Gwen Stacy, etc. I thought the narrative would be a little more objective and contain some more origin-story elements, but instead, it was centered around Sheldon, his family, and the way the public viewed these various superheroes as they marched through New York. I kept waiting for Busiek to dive a little deeper into the stories or for Sheldon to make a strong personal connection with any of the mutants or heroes, but that time never came. Ultimately, I found the book left me feeling unsatisfied – not in the genre itself, but in the perspective from which Busiek tried to narrate.

As for that “Best Graphic Novels of All-Time” list, I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

What I’ve Been Reading: Forty Years in the Big House

Forty Years in the Big House by Jon Falk is a follow-up to If These Walls Could Talk. Falk is, of course, the long-time equipment manager for Michigan who was hired by Bo Schembechler. He retired following the 2013 season, and it’s implied that maybe he just didn’t see eye-to-eye with the direction of the program under the leadership of former athletic director Dave Brandon. In a curious twist, this post-retirement book, Forty Years in the Big House, wraps up a career . . . that still continues. After his replacement, Brad Berlin, moved on to other things, Jim Harbaugh asked Falk to come back as the equipment manager this off-season. So far I have not heard about any changes to that agreement, so maybe Falk will get in one last season (or more) to add to his 40-year career.

Anyway, the book is a collection of stories, mostly from his time with Bo Schembechler. It’s a walk down memory lane, and hardcore Michigan fans will enjoy the names, games, and events referenced here. Some of the chapters and themes get a little repetitive, but that was the same case in If These Walls Could Talk, so I was prepared. The book was co-written by Dan Ewald, whom I remember encountering first as an author when I read Hello Everybody, I’m George Kell (side note: I don’t talk much about other sports and teams, but the Detroit Tigers were my first sports infatuation and the first professional event I attended). Both gentlemen are getting up there in age, so I can forgive a little bit of repetition.

I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read, and I finished it over the span of two days. The biggest thing I took away from it was about doing something you love, doing it with passion, and being dedicated. I’ve read that people should change jobs every seven years to avoid stagnating, but this is a guy who worked 40 years at the same job and still talks about how much he loves the school, talks about crying at certain events because they mean so much to him. He loved Schembechler, loves the players, and loves Michigan. It’s hard not to appreciate his dedication to and love for the University of Michigan. Plus there are some good stories in there about Jim Harbaugh, Tyrone Wheatley, and Gerald Ford, along with many others.

What I’ve Been Reading: Dark Places

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects) is another quasi murder mystery that plays with timelines. It’s the story of Libby Day, the survivor of a brutal multiple homicide when she was a little girl. Her mother and two sisters were killed, and the murderer put behind bars was her 15-year-old brother Ben. Libby survives and writes a book about her experience, but with money running out, she accepts an offer from a Kill Club that doesn’t believe her brother was guilty. In the ensuing investigation, all kinds of new information comes to light. The story is told mostly from the perspective of a modern Libby Day, but it also gives a look from Ben and his mother from the time of the murders in 1985. I thought this book started off slowly and picked up about a third of the way through, mostly because it’s hard to empathize with Libby Day. (I also found that to be the case with Sharp Objects, where the main female protagonist was a little strange.) Flynn writes about some women with strange views on life, but she’s almost like a female Chuck Palahniuk, who writes (mostly) about some screwed-up dudes.

Has anybody else read this book? Or seen the movie? I watched the trailer for the movie, and I think Charlize Theron is a pretty poor choice for the lead role.

What I’ve Been Reading

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Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child. This is the eleventh book in the Jack Reacher series. I don’t think I’ve read this many books in one series since I read the Hardy Boys case files as a kid. I’ve read Harry Potter, A Song of Ice and Fire, Dexter, and The Chronicles of Narnia, but those series only reached a max of eight books. My goal is to finish the released Reacher novels by the end of the summer going into football season, so I can go ahead and read the new release, Night School, which is scheduled to come out in September of 2016. Despite the personal nature of the novel – some of Reacher’s Military Police colleagues wind up dead, so he investigates – I couldn’t get into this one quite as much as others. I won’t explain why because I don’t want to give anything away. I also think the Reacher books go a little too far at times into the realm of unbelievability. I want to read them as somewhat realistic action novels, but I’ll say this: the chances of someone getting away with these actions with no attention paid by spectators or police are very slim. I also grew tired of reading the phrase “You do not mess with the special investigators.” There was a little too much bravado and repetition, not to mention a lack of creativity, in that overused mantra.

Nothing to Lose by Lee Child. The twelfth installment of the Reacher series, Nothing to Lose is the tale of two towns in Colorado: Hope and Despair. Neither one of those towns exist in real life, but I’ve come across some other little-known geographical areas in Reacher novels that do exist, so I had to check. This one had some hints of Die Trying in it, which I found a little bothersome. Hope is obviously a fine place to live, whereas Despair is full of angry people who don’t want any outsiders meddling in their business. You also have to suspend your disbelief for this one, but the story has enough twists and turns and leaves you guessing enough to want to figure out how it ends. I was a little disappointed in how easily Reacher gets duped at one point in the story, but even a superstar ex-cop makes mistakes once in a while, I guess.

Hit the jump for some non-Reach novels, including books written by Elmore Leonard, Amy Poehler, Steven Levitt, and Matthew S. Hiley.

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What I’ve Been Reading

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Raylan by Elmore Leonard. Raylan was commissioned after the Justified series started airing on television, so the ideas in this book aren’t very fresh. If you have watched the series, you know pretty much exactly what goes down in the book. There are some minor changes, but it was kind of like reading the TV script. I still enjoyed it because Raylan is a fun character, and so are his backwoods Kentucky friends and enemies. But don’t expect any new shenanigans for Raylan Givens.

Hit the jump for more of what I’ve been reading.

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